Method and mechanism for knitting full-fashioned hosiery



Feb. 14, 1933. -R. H. LAWSON 97, 3

METHOD AND MECHANISM FOR KNITTING FULL FASHIONED HOSIERY Filed Jan. 24, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet l I nvenifo Feb. 14, 1933. 1,897,

METHOD AND MECHANISM FOR KNITTING FULL FASHIONED HosIERY R. H. LAWSON Filed Jan. 24, 1929 4 Sheets-Shed 2 Feb. 14, 1933. R H, LAWSON 1,897,131

METHOD MECHANISM FOR KNITTING FULL FASHIONED HOSIERY Filed Jan. 24, 192? 4 she'ets -sheet 3 Z19 @WWM @5398 Feb. 14, 1933. R. H. LAWSON 7 1,397,131

' METHOD AND MECHANISM FOR KNITTING FULL FASHIONED HOSIERY Filed Jan. 24, 1929 4 Sheet-Sheet 4 Inve nibr beriHLaws m Patented Feb. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE nonsmn. LAWSON, or raw'rncxs'r, nnonn ISLAND, Assienon Tb 11mm 0011- rm, or omrrnar. rams, nnonn Ismm), A conrona'rrou or mssacnusms mnon m IEGKANISI Ion. m'r'rme rULL-rasmom nosY' Application fled JanuaryJM, 192?. Serial No. 384,835.

This invention relates to full fashioned hosiery and to method and mechanism formalcing the same. The term full fashioned is employed, because the hosiery, although knitted on a circular series of needles, is actually fashioned by the withdrawal of needles and the elimination of wales during the knitting operation. w

In order that the principle of the invention may be readily understood, I have, in the accom anying drawin disclosed several embodiments of the fa ric of the invention and the bestl-means known to me for con structing said fabric. a

In said drawings: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a full fashioned stocking constructed in accordance with my 7 invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the stocking shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail in plan representing a part of the foot and toe; 1

Fi 3a is aside elevation of the foot of a full ashioned stocking showing a modification thereof;

Fig. 3b is a detail showing the seam at the to ofthetoep ig. 3c is a detail showing a heel made by narrowing and widening; Fig. 4 is a detail upon an enlarged scale of certain of the loops along the two selvage e edges which are referably at the back f t stocking, said gure showin one embodiment of such portion of the fa ric; Figs. 5 and 6 are views similar to Fig. 4,

but of further embodiments of the fabric;

Fig. 7 is a somewhat diagrammatic rep-, resentation of a part of the interior construction of the cams, etc. at and in the vicinity of the knitting cams, and representing the production of circular work. D

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 but'representing the production of reciprocating work;

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic plan indicating the grouping of the needles, but without at-' tempt to show the actual number of needles employed; and Fig. 10 is a detail in elevation showing how the elongated loops of the selvages are formed. I I I In accordance with the preferred embodiment of my invention, I emplo a circular hosiery knitting machine (such, or example, as a Banner knittin machine, of suflicientl large diameter, as, or example 3% inches? and mount therein the desired number of needles (as, for example, 300, or 350, or 400, or other suitable number). One third of the needles are lon'g'butt needles, and I have indicated the same by the numeral 1 in Fig. 9. v The remaining two thirds of the needles are short butt needles, and I have indicated them collectively by the several numerals 2, 3, 4 and 5. All of the needles 2', 3, 4 and 5 are prefer ably the same, but the groups of needles 3 and 4 are the needles employed in fashioning,the group 3 constitut' one sixth of the total number of needles, an the cup 4 also constituting one sixth of the tota number of needles. My invention is not limited, however, to this, ouping, as it maybe varied as found desira le.

Preferably I rotate the needle cylinder, though my invention is not limited to so doing. The stocking ma be" be n at the top or at the toe, but I wil descri the same as though it were knitted beginning at the top.

Referring to Fig. 1, the work is begun at I the top, as indicated at 6, and is continued 'upon all the needles by round and round knitting down to the line 7-7. Be ing at the line 7 7 the stocking is knitte through out the entire remainder thereof by reciprocating knitting.

During such reciprocating knittin I form two selvages, and where desired I withdraw a needle from each edge or selvage portionf Such fashioning is continued upon as many courses as desired and as often as desired 'down to'the. line 88, after which the reciprocating knittin is continued upon the remaining number .0 needles without fashion--' ing down to the line 9-9. The heel, which is indicated at 10, is shown in Fig. 1 as a full fashioned heel, and may be somewhat similer to that shown in the atent to Scott & Williams, No.42!) 695, date June 24, 1890.

I may, however, ma e the heel by anarrowing and wideninIg1 operation, as indicated at a in Fig. 3a.

a, stitches along the part which becomes the bottom edge 11 in Fig. -1are directly connected as a knitted structure with the stitches 'along'the line 12 of Fig. 1, thus forming a sort of a pocket which is out along the line 1313 and afterward seamed together, so as tomake the full fashioned heel 10. In mak: in such heel of Fig. 1, there may be an actual fa hioning at the corner 14 by the elimination or otherwise of needles. The foot shown in Fig. 1 is knitted by reciprocation knitting throughout, so as to form two selvage edges along a line 15 to be afterward seamed together when the stocking is seamed up the back of the ankle and the back of the calf.

ing just in advance of the heel at the area 16 of Fig. 1 by the elimination of needles or by the transfer of loops. some cases, at the termination of the foot (that is, when a line is reached extendingfrom 16 to 17 to 18) I proceed in any one of several ways to make ateach edge of the fabric a notch 19, one of which is shown in Fig. 1, and both of which are shown in Fig. 2. Thereafterthe toe portion 20.is knitted by fashioning along both edges in-the same manner as at the back of the calf. Such two opposite edges, indicated at 21-21 in Fig.3, are seamed together in the general seaming operation referred to. The fashioning of the toe portion is contin-. ued down to the line 22, thus completing the knitting operation. -I may, however, so construct the toe that the seam is at 21a.at the top of the toe, as shown in Fig. 36, or the seam may instead be at 21b at the under s1de of the toe, as shown in Fig. 1. y

In order to makethe two notches 19 -19 (the edges of which are respectively to be seamed or looped together) thereby to give the right shape to the foot and toe,I may, when the two edges 23, 23 are reached, push up one needle at a. time, and in knitting the two edges 24, 24,,pull down all the needles at once, so as to make what I term a horizontal 5 line as contrasted with the inclined line 23;

or I may insteadpick up allthe needles at a time to make one edge and pull down one of the needles at a time to make the other edge;

or I may pick ugegery other needle to make one edge and t pick down every other needle tomake the otheredge; or I may resort to variations of these procedures.

,Havin now described the metal structure of t e stocking, I will re er to the selvconstruction which will be along both es of-the fabric wherever there is recipro-v the knitting operation the cating work (that is to say, it will exist from the line 7-7 onward to the end of-the toe).

Said selvagvgedges have two features, each of which constitutes an im ortant feature of the invention.- The first 0 these is the structure of fabric resulting from withdrawing a needle from action, severing the thread and binding or locking, as it were, the stitch and' the severed end, so that the severed end will not ravel. Thesecond of these features is the formation ofenlarged or elongated loops at the non-fashioned parts of the selvage edges, said enlarged loops offering facilities 1n the seaming operation and not ogliy' strengtheningthe selvages but providing ditional material to be engaged by the seaming thread so that a stronger seam can be made.

. Referring first to that embodiment of the I and is'cut, as indicated at 27 in Fig. 4. The reciprocatingaction continues until the too is completed.

The first course of the reciprocatingknitting, which is indicated at 28 in Fig. 4 1s continued as indicated in said gure' until the a last loop thereof is formed t 29 in Fig. 4.

I then withdraw from action the needle which made said loop 29, and in doin so I pull the thread through the loop as indicated at 30, this being the free end of the thread resulting from severing the thread in the binder, as already stated. This threadend being pulled through, the loop 29 is bound or pinched in by the loop 29 and so is held from raveling. It will be understood that the other severed end of the thread, as indicated at 27, is pinched, or held by the loop 31 and is so held from raveling ,out. Then the next course is knitted, which will be the course indicated at 32, the knitting going in the opposite direction. and the same operation is gone through with of withdrawing a needle 'and severing the thre"ad,provided I desire to continue to withdraw needles in successive courses. In Fig. 4 I do not withdraw a needle from each selvage in immediately successive courses,but instead I next make one or more courses upon all the remaining needles and form the enlarged, non-knitted loops at both edges of the fabric, as indicated at 33, 34, 35,.

36, etc. When I have made a suflicient numthen narrow again by withdrawing one needle'from action at each end of the series of be! of enlarged loops in a series of courses, I 1

at- 37, 38 these rations being continued throughout thefa fic.

It is to be understood that the points at which I withdraw needles and the point at which I make the enlarged loops depend upon the amount offashioning desired and the points at which the fashioning is to be done.

In order to make the enlarged loops 33,

.134, 35, .36, etc. I lap the thread, as indlcated when making the toe,

k, sented succeeding courses in the thir which the float is thrown into the binder and at 39 in Fig. 10, around the last needle of the series. The thread is wrapped around the stem of the needle entirely below the latch and in suchosition that the thread does not get into t e inside of the latch of that needle and consequently is not knitted by that needle. The said needle is by the mechanism of the machine entirely withdrawn from action, thus leaving the enlarged loops as described.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4, I withdraw one needle from' action at each edge of the fabric, and then in thenext course, and

preferably in the next two courses, I formenlarged selvaged loops. I am not limited to such rocedure, however, and as representation oa variation thereof I have in Fig. 5 represented the cutting of the thread in each of two-successive courses, as, for example,

courses 41, 42, and in the next two subs uent courses I form enlarged, non-knitted of this procedure may be employed, as, for example, by forming the enlarged loops in a greater number of successive courses before again withdrawin needles, and withdrawing needles, if desire in a greater number of "successive courses than two, as for example, or at other desired points.

In Fig. 6 I have indicated another method .of rooedure which is wholly b circular work, and thatcircular work will carried throughout as much of the stocking as desired. I, however, actuall withdrawneedles in the manner already dl ascribed along the two edges, and the float which occurs where a needle or needles is or are withdrawn is thrown into the binder and is there severed, and this operation is! continued as long as desired." A a p a In saidFig. 6, I have represented a course 47 where a needle is withdrawn and the float cut, and at 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, I have re re;

cutter and cut, this uence of operations being continued throii g h Inorder to carry out the-two operations of withdrawing the needles and making the 1011 r, non-knltted loops, *1 may and prefera l y do em loy mechanism, a part of which is representes in Figs. 7 and 8.v Therein the knittin cams are indicated at 53, 54, 55, and in regular knitting the needles move in the 6 direction of the arrow on Fig. 7. Above the oops indicated at 43, 44, 45, 46. Other variations out the fashioning.

cated at 59. One of such needles is indi cated atA2 in Fig. 8. Said needles are, of course, subsequently permanently withdrawn, that is, wherever the fabric is actually fashioned, and in Fig. 8 certain of the permanently withdrawn needles are shown as in the fully inactive pathway 60, said needles being the needles A, B for one course, the needles A,

,B for a succeeding course, and the needle B2 for another succeeding course, it being understood that the needle A2 also finds its way into the said fully inactive pathway.

In order to guide the needles at the proper times, I employ additional pickers or 1t may be cams. In Figs. 7 and 8, I have represented a second set of pickers 61, 62, and it will be understood that a needle which in either direction of reciprocation is engaged by a picker 61, 62, is thereby elevated soas to come above a cam 53 or 55 and at the proper time will come under the influence of a picker 56 or 57, so as to be thrown above the cam 54. A

needle is thrown above the cam 54, as indicated at A2 in Fig. 8, when the thread is to be wrapped around the stem thereof below the latch to make an enlarged, non-knitted loop. It is not to be understood that in the making of the enlarged loop the needle is brought from the fully inactive athwa 60. A needle about which the en ar d lbop is to be formed is the terminalnee' of the active series, and would be elevated from the active seriesby the picker 56 or 57, so as to ass above the cam 54. Such needle will in t e next course either again .have an enlarged'loop formed around it, as just described, or it will be entirely withdrawn from le at one end action and thrown down by suitable cam means or other picker means into the wholly inactive pathway 60. The needles which are entirely withdrawn from action gradually accumulate in the fully inactive pathway 60 and when the stocking is finished, they are automatically brought backinto action so that the next stocking is begun uponall the needles.

In the reciprocating action the reci rocating element (desirably the needle cy inder) is moved through a complete revolution and an additional part of a revolution, as, for example, one third of a revolution in excess. That would result in twice elevating some of the needles, namel those represented by the excess one third 0 a revolution. To prevent such a result, I cause all the needles repre- 4 ated under pattern control from the main pattern drum or a supplemental pattern drum or chain, but I havenot attempted in this aplication to show the same. Recapitulating, I state as follows: The machine .is operated by continuous circular knitting (that is, by continuous round and round movement of the needle cylinder down to the line 7. 7 of Fig. 1, which corres onds to the line indif cated by in Fig. 4

Thereafter only reciprocating knitting is done in the preferred form of the invention. Each reciprocating movement is a long one (that is to say, it is sufliciently' long to carry the knitting needles past all of the knitting cams). -,That means .that the needle cylinder for each stroke of'reciprocation makes one complete turn and .about one third of another turn. Then the return stroke of the reciprocation begins and continues sufliciently far to constitute one revolution anda third of another, and then the next reciprocation begins, and so on. In

I the preferred embodiment of the invention,

however, this long reciprocation continues at all times after the line 77 is reached.

As to how the machine works when cutting ofi the yarns, we-refer to Fi 4, and considering either the right hand si e or the left hand si e of q the figure, it will be seen that the yarn is severed at 27. The am is severed at the endhof a-reciprocation, if at that point a needle is to be withdrawn from action, and the severed end of the yarn is drawn through a loop (see the severed end 30 which is drawn through the loop 29). If a needle is not withdrawn from action at the end of reciprocation, the yarn is not severed, but the loops are made longer at the selvage (see the loops 33, This is a new feature, and the unusually long loops at the selvage edges ofie facilities in the seaming operation, because they severed -ends.

my invention and means for produci provide additional material to be engaged by the seaming threads.

If a thread is severed ht the 'end of a stroke in one course, the severed'end is shown at that course (see, for example, one ofthe ends 27 ),'-and the other end of that cut would be shown in the next course (see for exam le, one of the "ends marked 30) 6f course l ig;

e sake of held fixed, and the same is true of the other Having thus described certain embodiments of the fabric of my invention and certain methods for practicing the method of the fabric, and carryingout the method, I esire it to be understood that althou h specific terms are employed, they are used in a gen eric and 'descri tive, senseand not for pures of limitation, the scope of-the invention b i ng set forth in the following claims.

Iclaim:

1. That method of-knitting full fashioned hosiery which comprises knitting tubular work as far as desired and then reciprocating and in so doing severing the thread end at-the commencement of the reciprocation and drawing the severed end through a terminal loop to be pinched or held thereby from raveling. J,

2. That method of knitting full fashioned hosiery which comprises knitting tubular work as far as desired, and then reciprocating and in desired courses wrapping the thread about the stem'of the needle'but without knitting the thread by said needle whereby an enlarged 'selvage loop is formed at both ends of arourse of reciprocation. 3. That method ofknitting full fashioned hosiery which comprises knitting tubular work as far as desired, then reciprocating and in so doing severing the'thread end at the commencement of the reciprocation and drawing the severed end through a terminal loop "to be pinched or held thereby from ravelin'g, and in desired' courses wrapping the thread about the stem of the needle but without knitting the thread by said needle whereby an enlarged selvage loop is formed at both ends of a course of reciprocation.

4. That method of knitting full fashioned .hosiery which comprises knitting tubular work as far as desired, andthen reciprocating and in desired courses elevating the terminal needle at each end of the reciprocation sufliciently to permit thethrea d to be wrapped around the stem of the needle without being knitted thereon, and then in a subsequent course withdrawing said needlefrom action and severing the thread whereby, the withdrawal of he needle effects the drawing of the severed end through the terminal loop andthe pinching or binding of said end by said loop '5. In a circular knitting machine," means for forming circular work, means for forming reciprocatingwork, mean? for withdraw mg successively the end needle of the series from action upon severance of the thread, v whereby the needle in the act of withdrawing oop so as to be pinched thereby.

.6. In a circular knitting machine, means for forming circular work, means for form- -mg reciprocatin work, and means for wrapping the threa 'ciprocatlng courses about the terminal needle but wlthout knitting the thread byv suchneedle, whereby an enlarged terminal non: knitted loop is formed.

7.111 a circularknitting. machine, means for forming circular work, means for form;

.ing reciprocating work, means for withdraw pulls the end of the thread through the last at one or both ends of reing successively the-end needle of the series from action upon severance of the thread, whereby the needle in the act of withdrawing pulls the end of the thread through the last loop so as to bepinched thereby, and means'for wrapping the thread at one or both ends of reciprocating courses about the terminal needle but without knitting the thread by such needle, whereby an enlarged terminal non-knitted 100 is formed;

8. In a circular knittlng machine, means for forming circular work, means for form mg reciprocating work, and means for elevating the end needle at one or both ends of the series and wrapping the thread about such elevated needle-so as to form enlarged terminal non-lmitted loops, and means for subsequently withdrawing from action said elevated needle upon severance of the thread, whereby that needle draws the severed end through a terminal loop.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ROBERT H. LAWSON. 

